Since its tangential emergence in Said’s Orientalism in 1978, the term Occidentalism accrued multiple significations. Most notably, the term is argued to stage a counter- or reverse-discourse of Orientalism, operating on analogous dichotomic and oppositional paradigms. Most notable, in this context, is Ian Buruma and Avishai Margalit’s Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies, which labels Occidentalism as “dehumanizing picture of the West painted by its enemies” (5). This panel queries if we can conceive East-West relations differently, apart from the Orientalist logic that inheres in studies of Occidentalism. It explores novel dynamics in the encounters of “Eastern” travelers, poets, novelists, and among others, with the so-called West—dynamics that do not quite align with, or perhaps even challenge, oppositional, antagonist, and differentialist discourses. In what ways do these encounters complicate narratives of alterity? Is it possible that they—rather than painting dehumanizing pictures of the West—might address “our common human concerns” (Al-Azm) that involve both East and West (e.g., violence of modernity, war, gender inequality, or environmental concerns)? Is Occidentalism a useful term of analysis in this regard? How can we reformulate this concept for a more progressive politics in action?

Virtual Only: All presentations will be delivered via Zoom.

Further link: https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/21721